The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-09-14
BLACK ROT.
A New Danger to the Vine.
saturday Reyiew.I


Public attention in France, so far as IL can
be diverted from Gen. Boulanger, is pretty
generally directed to the new scourge which
is threatening to devastate the unhappy
vineyards of the West before they have had
full time to recover flom the fatal inroad of
the phylloxera. 1t has been recognized du-
ring the present season that fungus hither-
to almost unknown in Europe, but singularly
fatal to the vine, has made its appearance
over large district Of the Garonne, and has
very naturally caused extreme alarm among
the already half-ruined wine-growers. The
first suspicion that anyone had Of the exis-
tence Of this plague in France goes back no
further than two years ago. When the
grapes were ripening in 1885, the manager of
an estate on the southern slope of the Ceven-
mes, near Ganges, in the Herault. observed
that his grapes were shrivelling, and pres
emily that they turned black. He had never
seen this phenomenon before, and he col
lected some specimens of the sick grapes,
and took them down to the college Of Mont
pelier, where there is special school
of vitculture. They were examined there by
experts. and at last pronounced to be stricken
with the malady known In America as black
rot. This name has been officially recogniz-
ed In France, without any attempt to trans
lation. The director Of the Montpelier
School OF Viticulture recognized at once the
gravity OF the situation, and proceeded to
make an attempt at destroying the fungus.
Elaborate efforts were made in the late aut-
umn and winter of 1885 to eradicate the pest,
and it was hoped with success. But next year
it appeared not only in the original vineyard
near Ganges, but in several other estates in
the uplands of Herault.
Under these circumstances the danger be-
came more than a local administration could
venture to deal with, and the Government
was appealed to. The Minister Of Agricul-
ture instructed M. Prillieux, who is well
known for his practical and theoretical re-
researches into the principles Of that science,
to proceed to the Herault and to report on
the condition of the vines. His first expert
ences were propitious. He found that the
black rot had not extended to so great an ex-
tent as was feared, that the atmospheric con-
dltlons in 1886 seemed to be unfavorable to it,
and that really there was little sign of the
malady left further than certain small tawny
spots, on the leaves alone, which marks,
when examined, were found to be full of lit
tie black dots. The grapes themselves esca-
ped, and the loss to the vintage Of 1886 was
little or nothing. The affair had attracted
slight public notice, and the report that it
had almost disappeared in its second year
tended to make the danger completely for
gotten. M. PrillieuX returned to his custom
airy duties.
Unhappily the restoration of public conf
dence was premature. In July of the pres
ent year NJ. Prillieux received news, not this
time from the Mediterranean, but from the
lar richer Atlantic watershed, which caused
MN immediately to communicate again with
the Government. The result was that he
was desired to proceed at once to the valley
Of the Garonne; and his report, which has
Just been published, is sufficiently grave to
cause, as 1t has done, something like panic.
The black rot, which had never been heard
OF west OF the CevenneS, was suddenly per-
celved last July, simultaneously, in several
OF the vineyards which surround the city of
Agen, in the Tarn- -Garonne. The sudden
ness OF the apparition was extraordinary
According to the evidence Of a number OF
ctgneronS, the black rot was not seen until
the 18th of July, precisely ON which date, af-
ter an extremely hot day, followed by a
storm, there appeared shrivelled grapes on
punches which had previously been perfect
ly healthy, and these rapidly spread until
the entire bunch was destroyed. 1t is sug-
gested by Nj. Prillieux that, although the To-
cal men assert with confidence that the NAL
ady had been hitherto unknown in the Val
ley of the GarOnne, it has probably been
suspected and but little developed. He was
informed by the proprietor whose vineyard
lies under the classic towers of Montesquieu
that his vines were withered in 1885 in
inOAOs hhlNI nc ouPpOoCQ Qut W some uU-
usual force of the suns rays, but which M.
Prlllleul attributed to the fungus. There is,
at any rate, no doubt of the serious nature of
the plague this autumn. Along the Garonne
from Agen down to st. Maeaire there runs
lateral canal to aid the navigation of the
stream. The upper part OF the island form
ed by the river and this canal-from Agen,
that is to say down to the mouth of the Lot
is at present the main theatre of the dam
age done; Along, this fertile and watery val
hn nnly natl .C 4 IL
rapidity. AT the middle of July
the plague made its appearance; before the
end of the month three-fourths of the grapes
in most of the vineyards in the district we
have indicated were shrivelled. The malady
spread at the same time up the valley of the
Baise, to the valuable vineyards which sur
round the Gown of Nerac. The reader who
glances at the map, and draws an equilateral
triangle in the centre of Lot-et-Garonne,
with Agen, Aiguillon, and Nerac at its three
points, may realize how important the dis
trlet IS within which, owing to black rot the
VINE harvest this year is a complete failure.
Inc fungus which has caused all this alarm
ana distress has long been known in Amer
ica, although we have hitherto enjoyed an
immunity from its visits in Europe. AT the
~ starl, the appearance of the vine-eaves
ana the grapes suggest that the enemy is the |
ordinary mildew, which is SO common n re-
s9 9 OF the extreme heat and sudden storms |
" ram. Inc grapes are seen to have spots |
" eiear rose-color upon them, and these ruby |
S sra rapidly spread over the surface The
Stne e iF for becomes apparent in the next
tawny brown, and remains that color the 1
stains of the phomd uricola. which is' t tho
scientific name for the black rot, turns to ~" =
dark violet, first of all of hyacinthine tint
then as deep ana opaque as the hue of /
crooked prune. The surface is by this tiroa
covered with black powder, which is really
the spores of the phOmd in immense numbers
and ready for reproduction NJ. Prillieny |
has been unable, except with powerful mi |
to discover any difference between |